Process of refining grape-sugar.



No. 679,426. l Patented my 3o, Ism.

w. R. LONG.

PROCESS 0F REFINING GRAPE SUGAR.

(Application led Feb. 6, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.`

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PRDCESS 0F REFINING GRAPE SUGAR.

(Application led Feb. 8, 1901.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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Unurnn STATES ATENT rrrcn.

IVILLIAM R. LONG, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO ST. LOUIS TRUST COMPANY, OF MISSOURI.

PROCESS OF REFINING GRAPE-SUGAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 679,426, dated July 30, 1901. Application tiled February 6, 1901. Serial No. 46,214. (No specimens.)

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Be itknown that IVILLIAM R. LONG, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Refining Grape Sugar, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the aocompanying drawings, forming part of this 1o specification.

My invention relates to the art of refining sugar, and more particularly crude grapesugar. Broadly stated, the process noW in use of refining sugarof this class consists in removing from the sugar certain impurities found therein, which may be removed in liquid or moist form, some of the impurities being carried by the moisture in the form of a solution. Prior to my invention the most ap- 2o proved process for thus refining grape-sugar consisted in moistening the finely-divided sugar and then treating itin a centrifugal machine for the purpose of eliminating the moisture and other impurities which were carried out by the moisture in solution. Vhile this process removes a portion of the impurities, it is one requiring much time and labor for its completion, and hence it is expensive, and in addition to this it results in an inferior 3o product, which has a marked bitter taste and rapidly deteriorates with age and acquires a Very disagreeable odor and a yellow color, which greatly injure its market value.

The object of the present invention is to 3 5 produce a reiined grape-sugar which shall be free from the objectionable features above noted and to accomplish this result in a shorter time and with less labor and expense than heretofore.

With this object in view the invention resides in a process of refining crude grapesugar which, broadly stated, consists in subjecting said sugar when in a hard non-pasty condition to high pressure, whereby the mois- 4 5 ture which is found even in hard crude grapesugar is expelled, carrying with it other impurities held therein in solution. I have found that a pressure of from two thousand five hundred pounds to tive thousand pounds -5o to the square inch or even higher is desirable to secure the best results, the pressure required varying according to the temperature of the room. The lower the temperature the higher the pressure required. According to the best way known to me ot' practic- 55 ing the invention the h ard non-pasty crude sugar is inclosed in an envelop, preferably of d uck or other suitable fabric, and then placed in the press, superior results being attained if the crude sugar is rst divided into small 6o particles. Care should be taken not to treat the sugar when in a soft pasty condition, as I have learned from repeated experiments that it Will liow under the high pressure to which it is subjected and burst the inclosing envelop. It is therefore essential that the crude sugar under treatment should oe of such a hard non-pasty consistency that while it will yield under the pressure it will not iiow, so as to readily transmit the pressure to 7o the envelop to an extent greater than can be sustained by the latter. Any sugar of a consistency which will act under pressure as indicated above may be employed, and I have found the crude suger known commercially as No. 70 to be particularly adapted for the treatment by my process.

Any suitable apparatus may be employed in practicing the invention, and in the accompanying drawings I have shown one form of 8o apparatus that may be used, in which drawings- Figure I is a vertical section of a mechanism that may be used when it is desired to divide the crude sugar into small particles before subjecting it to pressure. Fig. II is a section of one of the initial cake-forming frames and envelop in which the sugar is incased. Fig. III is a perspective View of one of the forming-frames and sugar-incasing en- 9o velops. Fig. IV is a view in elevation of a cake-forming press. Fig. V is a View in elevation of the main press. Fig. VI is a View in vertical section of a mechanism for pulverizing and screening the relined sugar after it comes from the main press. Fig. VII is a vertical section of a drying-kiln.

In practicing my invention a cake of crude grape-sugar of the proper consistency and of a suitable size may be placed in the formingroo frame 7, (shown in Fig. IL) iuclosed in the envelop 6, and subjected to preliminary pressure in the press 8, after which it is trans-y ferred tothe press 9 and subjected to high pressure, as hereinafter described; but I prefer to first take the cake A of hard non-pasty crude grape-sugar and-divide it into small particles or reduce it to a broken mass by the use of a revoluble chipping-cutter 1, to which the cake A is fed in a table 2 by a screwfollower 3, driven by suitable gearing 4. The cake of sugar is thereby cut into small chips and falls through the hopper 5 into an envelop 6, laid in a forming-frame 7. When the desired amount of sugar has been placed in the envelop 6, the ends of the envelop are folded over onto the mass B of sugar, as partially shown in Fig. III, ready for the next step in the process. The next step in the process consists in placing the forming-frame 7, with the incased mass of sugar thereon, in a suitable press 8, (see Fig. IV,) and on the press being putV into operation the mass of sugar incased Within the envelop 6 is formed into a compact cake therein.

l After 'forming the cakes of sugar as described said cakes in the Aenvelops 6 are taken 1 from the press 8 and from the forming-frames f 7 and placed in the main press 9, (preferably hydraulic,) between divisions 10 in the press. Then by the application of high pressure upon the sugar the moisture is expelled therefrom, with the impurities therein, the envelops 6 serving to retain` the inc'ased sugar, While the moisture, with the impurities, is driven through the envelops, thus leaving the sugar in a purified-condition. When the sugar has been subjected to the required degree and eX- tent of pressure in the press 9 and the irnpurities have been expressed, the pressure thereon is relieved and the sugar is removed from the incasing envelops and is ready for reduction bypulverization to marketable condition.

To pulverize the sugar, it is passedthrough rollers 11 and falls upon a vibrating screen 12 and therethrough into a receiver 13, the coarser particles of the sugar falling from the screen into a trough 14, from Which they are taken up by a conveyer 15 and again delivered to the pulverizing -rollers 11. The screened sugar from the receiver 13 is passed to a suitable drying-kiln 16, (shown in Fig. VIL) Where it is allowed to remain until thoroughly dry and from which it is taken in a finely-pulverized state ready to be barreled for use.

Practical experience has demonstrated that by the use of my process grape-sugar can be transformed directly from its crude,fully crysta1lized,and comparatively hard state into a marketable, purified,and pulveri'zed state in a very much shorter period of time than Where a centrifugal machine is employed to expel the moist impurities, (in Which case it is necessary to have the sugar in a moist or Wet condition, containing a larger amount of foreign Grenze matter to be expelled,) the difference in time being about four hours, according to my process, as compared With forty-eight hours required by the centrifugal process, (which latter process is the one heretofore universally employed to the best of my knowledge.)

While the sugar is going through the various steps of my process down to the drying of it in the kiln, the temperature :in the rooms is preferably kept at from to 90 Fahrenheit.

While I have described my process as consisting of a number of steps and prefer to so carry the process into effect, yet it can in a measure be accomplished by putting the crude sugar, inclosed in envelops 6, in the press 9 and expelling the moist impurities threfrom, after which itmay be dried either with or without pulverization.

I claim as my invention- 1. The process of treating crude grape-sugar which consists in expressing impurities therefrom When the sugar is in a hard, nonpaste-like condition.

2. The process of refining sugar Which consists in taking sugar of a hard non-paste-like consistency, inclosing it in an envelop and subjecting it to high pressure.

3. The process of refining sugar which consists in taking sugar of a hard non-paste-like consistency, separating it into small flakes or particles, inclosing it in an envelop and subjecting it to high pressure.

4. The process of refining grape-sugar which consists in taking crude No. 70 grape-sugar and subjecting it to high pressure.

5. The process of refining grape-sugar which consists in" taking crude No. 70 grapesugar, confining it in an envelop and subjecting it to high pressure.

6. The process of refining grapesugar which consists in taking crude No. 70 grapesugar, separating it into small flakes or particles, in'closing itin an envelop and subjecting it to high pressure.

'7. The process of refining grape-sugar Which consists in taking crude grape-sugar of a hard non-paste-like consistency and subjecting it to a pressure exceeding two thousand five hundred pounds per square inch.

8. The process herein described, of refining grape-sugar, which consists in chipping the sugar When of a hard non-paste-like consistency, then placing the same in an envelop, then pressing it into a cake, then subjecting it to 'a high pressure, and finally pulverizing and drying it, 'substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this 1st day of February, 1901.

WILLIAM R. LONG.

In presence of- E. S. KNIGHT, N. V. ALEXANDER.

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